I've reached the point where I cannot stand this mangling of the language nor the confusion it causes for so many people trying to read posts (who do privately complain).

This is a board with unlimited space to express yourself, not Twitter or a mobile phone screen. :) Please folks, respect all members, and the language itself, by spelling out words and making posts that can be read and understood by all. :thmbsup:

cl*p Thank you for this Karlin, my eyes were starting to bleed over the last few days :flwr:

Karlin

8th June 2011, 11:56 AM

I know people use text abbreviations because they get used to them and don't realise how frustrating they can be...but their use is becoming a common complaint for users of boards and email lists.

Personally I hate text language anyway, including on phones. Why people have to use something as stupid looking and sounding as 'wid' rather than using up a single extra character for 'with' is one of life's great mysteries. 8-) :lol:

BrooklynMom

8th June 2011, 11:59 AM

Ha, great example Karlin.

Davecav

8th June 2011, 12:16 PM

Totally agree!

James

8th June 2011, 01:09 PM

Thank you for that Karlin, I do not like it all, not even when sending an actual Short Message Service message

Sign of the times I'm afraid...Still, it's worth a try enforcing it.:bang:

meljoy

8th June 2011, 07:38 PM

I too applaud this.cl*pcl*p
It drives me made to read what is happening to the English language.
My kids often tease me as when sending a text message on the phone I use correct spelling and don't shorten words. My texts are very long:rolleyes:

Desrae

8th June 2011, 10:28 PM

:rotfl: hear hear!:thmbsup: or is it here here...

goda

9th June 2011, 01:03 AM

I too applaud this.cl*pcl*p
It drives me made to read what is happening to the English language.
My kids often tease me as when sending a text message on the phone I use correct spelling and don't shorten words. My texts are very long:rolleyes:

To some of us, English is not our first language. I can see where the text talking can get annoying but I don't feel the propensity for finding it super offensive.

Not everyone on this forum uses correct English 100% of the time and I think it would be a loss for everyone if all of a sudden the focus became grammar instead of information and sharing knowledge/experiences with others.

mommytoClaire

9th June 2011, 02:50 AM

Oh my, I hope I'm not one of the offenders. I do use text language from time to time, but it's simple thiings like LOL (laugh out loud). The truth is I don't text. I have it available on my phone, but I don't see the purpose in it except to send short messages.

And I prefer a voice when I call someone.

But that said, any mistakes I make these days I'm blaming on my touch screen IPad, hahaha!

Jasper and Holly

9th June 2011, 04:31 AM

:rotfl: hear hear!:thmbsup: or is it here here...

That's so funny love your sense of humour!

Jasper and Holly

9th June 2011, 04:36 AM

Oh my, I hope I'm not one of the offenders. I do use text language from time to time, but it's simple thiings like LOL (laugh out loud). The truth is I don't text. I have it available on my phone, but I don't see the purpose in it except to send short messages.

And I prefer a voice when I call someone.

But that said, any mistakes I make these days I'm blaming on my touch screen IPad, hahaha!

I'm with you MommytoClaire I often use lol (laugh out loud) as it's the only one I know. I blame my iPad too. I am not the best speller in the world but I'm here for the Cavalier stories and photos and I would also be very disappointed if the people here became more concerned with spelling and grammar than helping others with their cavaliers!

Karlin

9th June 2011, 10:49 AM

Don't worry, LOL isn't an issue (indeed those are emoticon expressions with a long history in computer and board use along with FWIW or IMHO etc and some automatically translate on the board into emoticons!), it is writing whole posts using the same format someone would use if sending a text message.

RU getn d point? :)

In short I think if you are a person worried you might have accidentally been using such language here and there, this all doesn't apply to you. :D I am really talking about where the majority of a post is in such language, R for are, U for you, wid for with, d for the, etc.

To some of us, English is not our first language. I can see where the text talking can get annoying but I don't feel the propensity for finding it super offensive.

Not everyone on this forum uses correct English 100% of the time and I think it would be a loss for everyone if all of a sudden the focus became grammar instead of information and sharing knowledge/experiences with others.

We have many people here whose first language is not English -- from Denmark, Italy, Finland, Turkey, Iceland, Spain, France, Japan, etc etc. Not speaking English as one's main language has nothing to do with anyone making posts as if someone is sending an SMS. None of our second language people has *ever* posted a single message in text language (because if English isn't your first language, text language is going to be even more difficult to understand! I can say that with confidence as someone who taught English as a second language to students over many years... :) ).

I do not care whether you or anyone else is grammatically correct in your sentences. I only care about people making posts that are mostly or entirely in the format used in text messages.

I don't think it too much to ask people, for the sake of the majority of members, to use something other than sentences comprising lopped off words and abbreviations better suited to a mobile phone screen or Twitter (where they are appropriate in that context), or to add this to the very few rules on the board -- which is not a paid-for service, but my personal board which I make available to people for free; it is funded and maintained by me, and I consider it my own personal space (eg a virtual living room for chat)-- so I make whatever (minimal) rules I think work best :). These to date seem to have suited a large number of people, given the growth and size of the board. If this is an onerous request for anyone, there are many boards and discussion lists! However: from experience I think such posts will annoy just as many people in other places as they do here. :lol:

PS also realise those who use this type of language on boards never intended to be annoying and didn't realise it actually frustrates a lot of people trying to make sense of the posts. :)

Karlin

9th June 2011, 12:12 PM

:rotfl: hear hear!:thmbsup: or is it here here...

:D It actually IS 'hear, hear' but a lot of people mistakenly write this as 'here here'. It is what people in parliament say when someone says something they agree with -- hence 'hear, hear' (meaning 'listen to that great idea that I agree with!'). 'Here here' makes no sense in the context though it sounds the same.

Another common mistake is the (incorrect) phrase 'to give [something] free REIGN'; the actual expression comes from riding a horse and is to give free REIN (eg allow someone, or here, usually a dog, to roam or do as it will, like loosening the hold on a horse's reins to let it go where it will without being directed). Like a lot of phrases, their origin gets lost and people replace the original words with homonyms that vaguely make sense as well.

Another that drives me crazy: 'would OF done', could OF gone' etc. 'Of' makes absolutely no sense; it isn't a verb! The correct word is HAVE and people are mishearing that word/the contraction 'would've'. This mistake was really never made much even a decade or two ago -- when I taught at university, including remedial English classes. It is everywhere now. I can only attribute it to the fact that no one reads any more. :( And that people write in text speak. Next people will forget there is such a word as 'are' or 'the' or 'there'... :yikes

Wagtails

9th June 2011, 02:43 PM

Another that drives me crazy: 'would OF done', could OF gone' etc. 'Of' makes absolutely no sense; it isn't a verb! The correct word is HAVE and people are mishearing that word/the contraction 'would've'.

Glad it's not just me then!!!:thmbsup:

Brian M

9th June 2011, 03:31 PM

Hi

Just to clarify are we discussing English English or American English ,and if so is it
pavement or sidewalk and could it be elevator or is lift .:confused:

Which reminded me of the old Italian English situation below.

Bestest Wishes

Brian
25% English,25% Welsh and 50% Irish so I have been told.:):):)
PS not really serious of course.

NO SPEAKA DA ENGLISH

A bus stops and 2 Italian men get on. They sit down and engage in an animated conversation.

The lady sitting next to them ignores them at first, but her attention is galvanized when she hears one of them say the following:

Emma come first.
Den I come.
Den two asses come together.
I come once-a-more
Two asses, they come together again.
I come again and pee twice.
Then I come one lasta time."

Brian, you are such a character! And here's me thinking you were a scouser!

Brian M

9th June 2011, 09:38 PM

Hello Deb

On the other side of the River Mersey The Wirral in sunny Cheshire but my heart belongs to Everton F C over the water I cant say that word that begins with L .:)

Tania

9th June 2011, 09:56 PM

Hello Deb

my heart belongs to Everton F C

No Comprendo :jmp: Brian slang is not acceptable!

Daisy's Mom

9th June 2011, 10:01 PM

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

It's no wonder college kids cannot spell these days or manage to send a literate email to their professors because they think "anything goes" as far as grammar and spelling.

Hold the line, people!!!

waldor

10th June 2011, 12:32 AM

It's no wonder college kids cannot spell these days or manage to send a literate email to their professors because they think "anything goes" as far as grammar and spelling.

There is a chapter on this very thing in Lynne Truss's wonderfully delightful book "Eats Shoots & Leaves."

susandavis1

10th June 2011, 10:04 AM

Hello Deb

my heart belongs to Everton F C over the water I cant say that word that begins with L .:)

I live with an 'L' fan and I'm a Man United fan, great fun in our house!! :-D
We always joke that Darcy is a neutral fan and supports Chelsea (as the club's history is about the same age as her i.e. 5 years old) :-D

Jasper and Holly

10th June 2011, 11:34 AM

That's funny! My hubby is a Man United fan and we both come from Manchester.

mommytoClaire

11th June 2011, 05:39 PM

Don't you just have to laugh sometimes on how these threads can get turned around.